Centrifugal clutch



July 21, 1936. A A.' Y. DODGE GENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Filed sept. s, 1951 Patented July 21., 1936 `UNITED STATES PATENT ori-fics ing rib I0-of the Aaiei Y. Dodge. south nena,

Bendix Aviation'` Corporation, corporation of Illinois Ind., assignor to Chicago, lll., a

Application september s, 1931, 'serialv No. 561,581

s claims. (ci. isz-10s) My invention relates to centrifugal clutches.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an automatically acting centrifugal clutch mechanism, said mechanism being providedwith manually operable means for rendering the same inoperative at the will of the driver.

Further objects will appear from the descripsuch as the ywheel of an internal combustion engine which normally acts as a driving member, a rotatable driven member 2, which may transmit rotation to the transmission of an automobile,

lcentrifugal force, clutch means 3 rotatable with, the driving member whereby the force transmissible increases with the speed of the driving member, and manually controllable means 4 operable against the action of centrifugal force for disconnecting the clutch 3 from the driven member 2 whereby, when the motor is not being called on to supply power for propulsion and it is desired to take advantageof a coasting action, the normally driven member 2 may be disconnected from the normal driving member I to permit the normal driving member to slow down to a speed which will render the centrifugal clutch means l3 ineffective, thus allowing the normally driven member to `rotate independently of the normal driving member.

The centrifugal clutch means shown comprise a pair of friction clutch shogs 5 pivotally mounted on lugs 6 on the fly wheel I and a pair of levers,

i having the weighted portions 8 pivotally mounted on the lugs 9 of the fly wheel to' increase the centrifugal force acting on the shoes 5 and carrying anti-friction rollers I4 engageable with the ribs I0 on the friction shoes 5. In order to hold the friction shoes 5 outof engagement with the annular friction surface II when the motor is running ata low speed', a pair of'coil tension springs I2 are provided, connecting the inwardly-.- extending arms I3 of one shoe with the reinforcother shoe.

In orderk to enablethe clutch to be disconnected manually when desired while the driven.

member 2 is rotating, a conical cam member I5 is provided mounted on a longitudinally adjustable rod I6 which is slidably mounted in the -sleeve I1 secured to the driven member'2. This slide rod may be shifted by means of a forked shifting arm I8 having inwardly extending pins I9 lying in an annular groove 20 in the shifting collar 2l which is slidably mounted on the sleeve I1. The shifting collar communicates sliding motion to the snee rod ls through a. pin zz threaded into the 10 4 slide rod and operating in a slot 23 in the collar,

the outer end of the pin extending into an annular groove 24 in the shifting collar 2l.

When conditions are such .that it is'. desired to takev advantage of a coasting action of the vehicle, the shifting arm I8 is operated to move the conical cam I5 to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, causing the conical surface of the cam to spread the arms I3 of the friction shoes 5, as seen in Fig. 3, thus causing the shoes to disengage the 20.

friction surface I-I and permit the driven member 2 to rotate independently of the normal driving 4member I.

speed of rotation of the driving member I will If the motor is throttled down, the

soon decrease to a point at which the centrifugal effect on the friction shoes 5 will be insumcient to overcome the tension in the springs I2. This will render the centrifugal means inoperative,

the friction shoes 5 being maintained out of contact withthe friction surface regardless of the position of the conical cam I5 which may now be moved back to the position shown in Fig. 2.

When it again becomes necessary for the motor to supply power to the transmission, the motor speed will be accelerated causing the friction shoes 35 5 to move outwardly under the action of centrifugal force to frictionally engage the annular friction surface II and clutch the driven member 2 to the normal driving member I.

In order to facilitate the manual de-clutching operation the weighted levers also are provided with inwardly-extending arms 25 which are initially engaged by the conical cam I5 when the i friction shoes are in engagement with .the' friction surface so that the conical cam will get action on all four of the pivoted members.

Further modifications will be apparent to lthose skilled in the art, and I desire, thereforeJto be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appendedy claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A centrifugal clutch construction compris-` ing a rotatable member normally acting as a driving member, a. rotatable member normally ing member from acting as a driven member, angularly operable centrifugally operated lever friction members mounted. on said driving member and rotatable with said member whereby the power output of the clutch increases with the speed of the driving member, supplemental weighted lever members operatively engageable with said 'friction members, and means operable against said centri-3 fugally operated friction members and said supplemental weighted members for disconnectingk saiddriving\ member from the driven member, whereby whemthe normally driven member is acting as a driving member it may be disconnected from the normal driving member to permit the normal driving member to slow down,I lessening the centrifugal force acting on the clutching means. I

2. A centrifugal clutch construction comprising a. rotatable member normallyacting as a driving member, a rotatable member normally acting as a driven member, angularly operable centrifugally operatedslever friction members mounted on said ,driving member and rotatable with said member whereby the power output of the clutch increases with the speedV of the driving member, supplemental weightedv lever members operatively engageable\with said friction members,

`and means` operable against the centrifugally operated friction members and said supplemental weightedmembers for disconnecting said drivthe driven member, whereby when the normally driven member is acting as a l driving member it may be disconnected from the normal jdriving member to permit the normal driving member to slow down, lessening the centrifugal force acting on-the clutching means.

3. AA centrifugal clutch construction comprising a rotatable driving member, angularly operable centrifugally operatedfriction means mountedon said driving member, weighted centrifugally operable means also mounted on said driving member and contactable with said friction means A to supplement the action of the latter, together with manually operable means operable uponj fulcrumed on said .operated lever friction both friction means and weighted meansr to render the friction means and weighted tive for the purpose intended.

4. A centrifugal clutch construction comprising a driven-member, a rotatable driving member, centrifugally operated lever friction' means fulcrumed on said driving member and adapted, to eiect a driving contact between said driving and driven clutch members at and above a predetermined R.`P. M. of the driving member, together with other centrifugally operated lever means driving member and Zadapted to act on said friction means to force the same into contact with the vdriven member, and manually operable means adapted to successively cut out the 'operation of said second-mentioned lever members and friction means.

5. A centrifugal clutch construction comprisinge. driven member, a rotatable driving member, a plurality of angularly spaced,l centrifugally 20 members fulcrumed on said driving member, each of said friction members being provided with inwardly extending arms, means'contactible with -said arms for rendering said friction members. inoperative, and a yield- 25 able' meansinterconnecting each of said friction members with the arm of an .opposite friction member. 6. A centrifugal clutch construction comprising a. driven member, a rotatable driving member,

means inoperavzal. plurality of angularly spaced centrifugally operated lever friction members fulcrumed on said driving member, each Aof said friction members being vprovided with inwardly extending arms, means contactible lwith dering said friction members inoperative, and a yieldable means interconnecting each of said friction members with the arm of an opposite friction member, together with other angularly spacedyveighted lever members fulcrumed on said 40 driving member and adapted to contact said` friction'members to supplement the latter in the operation of the clutch.

ADIEL Y. DCDGE.

said arms for ren- 

